Many plants in Tucson and surrounding areas suffered damage from below freezing temps, recently. We recommend patience when dealing with the aftermath, but in some cases there is no doubt about what to do. Below is a severely damaged impatiens plant that was happily growing and blooming in a pot on our patio. In it’s shady spot on the northRead more…

Our 28-year-old Arizona Sweet tree is still struggling, following the BIG FREEZE of 2010. I can hardly bear to look at this once-spectacular plant without pondering what I can do to bring it back. I decided to remove about half this year’s crop and cut out all the deadwood. And then do what gardeners often have to do; wait until spring.Read more…

Here are some of my garden inspirations for 2013: First, I must finish reading the book, Vertical Vegetable Gardening, by Chris McLaughlin. Paperback: 288 pages Publisher: ALPHA (December 31, 2012) ISBN: 978-1615641833 Better yet: I must read the book all year, and keep it handy, because it is full of easy to follow, easy to understand instructions and ideas for growing upwards, growing smart,Read more…

I’m finding the task of making a new wreath every month for 12 months to be a fun challenge! So far they have been easy, inexpensive and attractive. This month was a different story, and I believe if you read this post to the end, my Christmas Wreath will make you snicker. You wouldn’t think that a Christmas wreath would beRead more…

Nandina domestica, AKA, Heavenly Bamboo, is one of our favorite plants. A hardy, waterwise evergreen, Nandina grows in part to full sun, zones 5-10, offering year-round beauty, moderate growth, low maintenance, and deer resistance. I use Nandina leaves in flower arrangements, but I never clip its springtime blooms, because by autumn they develop into sturdy clusters of orange red berriesRead more…

Leaf art is easy to make. Here is an Autumn leaf, scanned into Picasa (a free photo editing program). I was able to change the image to black and white. …add and change background colors… …add text… …and make it into something useful. I could go on and on with ideas for this fallen leaf. But I haveRead more…

I had so much fun last month crafting an apple wreath, that I decided to challenge myself to make a new door decoration each month for a year. October, being the month of pumpkins and trick-or-treaters, my theme was obvious. The first step was to shop our home and garden for materials. I chose a simple grapevine form, which IRead more…

The front door of a home is more than just the focal point. It is where the outside and the inside worlds touch, the portal, where homeowner and visitor each linger for a moment before entering the private spaces. Here is the perfect location for a personal statement… a sign, striking color, or a wreath. Jim and I hang different wreathsRead more…

About a month ago I plucked a gooey Orange Dog Caterpillar from one of our baby Clementine orange trees. Kinda gross, huh? Yeah, before I touched it with a stick to make it poke out its tiny orange horns, it looked like a bird dropping. This ugly masquerade is to fool birds so they don’t decide to have caterpillar forRead more…